The head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has announced that nearly 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the Russian occupation of this country. This appears to be the first statement of its kind to come from the head of the Ukrainian military since the war began.
During a conference held in honor of veterans and families of slain soldiers, Ukrainian General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said that children need protection.
“They don’t understand what is happening and they need protection… because their fathers lost their lives at the front and are among the 9,000 heroes who were killed,” added the Ukrainian general.
However, it is not known if other military staff such as border guards are included. Since the start of the war, Russia has been consistently reluctant to reveal the exact number of Russian soldiers killed.